


Bones

by DP_Marvel94



Series: Ectober 2020 [2]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ectober (Danny Phantom), Fluff and Angst, Gen, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:34:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27218722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DP_Marvel94/pseuds/DP_Marvel94
Summary: For Ectober 2020.Somewhere in the Infinte Realms, a lonely skeleton clones struggles to remember who he is. Lucky for him, his siblings will do anything to bring him home.
Relationships: Danielle "Dani" Phantom & Danny Phantom Clone(s), Danny Fenton & Danielle "Dani" Phantom, Danny Fenton & Danny Phantom Clone(s)
Series: Ectober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987138
Comments: 37
Kudos: 30





	1. Bones

**Author's Note:**

> For DannyMay, I did a story with the prime clone as the main character (Life and Death is all Perspective) and a story with the tiny clone as the main character (Nothing and Everything). Now it’s Ectober and I’m back with a story featuring the skeletal clone as the main character. This story is set after “Life and Death is all Perspective” and references events in that story.

A boney body sits, leaning against a tree. Empty red eyes stare into space. Dark earth, gravestones, waving grass, leafless trees, woody bushes. One small plot of land, no more than twenty by twenty feet, suspended in a universe of ectoplasmic fog. An island in what the ghost would later learn was called the Infinite Realms, but to the skeleton, this is its entire existence. Its land, its territory.

Movement to the skeleton’s left draws its attention. A glowing orb of light, a Wisp, floats through the bushes. An intruder! The skeletal ghosts hisses. It crawls forward, clawed hands grasping at the wisp. The small orb flashes rapidly. It whistles high pitched and frightened, before fleeing away. Still hissing warningly, the skeleton watches the wisp until it disappears through the fog. Once the smaller ghost is out of sight, the boney ghost crawls away, dragging itself forward to rest under some bushes.

Later, something nearby roars. A scaled tail enters the ghost’s vision. Its core clenches in fear. Hide! Hide! Frantically, clawed fingers dig into the soil. Luckily, it is soft, parting easily near the gravestones. In a flash, the skeleton digs. It buries itself and, surrounded by dark earth, hides. The beast roars again but it passes. The island is still and silent. And the boney ghost claws back to the surface.

Time passes and this is existence. Resting under the bushes, chasing away intruders, hiding from monsters. And it passes in a daze. Everything is foggy, fuzzy. The ghost’s emotions, its mind insubstantial, nearly empty. 

Eerie wind ruffles the leaves around and above the ghost, the breeze caressing its bones. Something black drifted down, landing softly in front of it. Long fingers lazily caress the objects. Dull eyes hold stare ahead. But something inside sparks.

Flower petals. A word blossoms in his mind. Yes, flowers. Flowers were something he knew, his favorite things. His thumb rubbed across the petals and a feeling rose in his core. Something that could only be sadness, a feeling he does not understand. A memory brushes his mind. Bright yellow light, red petals. But it evaporates, flowing out of his mind until...it...is...empty.

Uncaring fingers drop the petals and the ghost curls up on itself. Again, it is empty. Just a skeleton. Just existing without thought. Around it, the wind still blows. Wisps and blob ghosts still float. Far away, ghost beasts roar. And even farther, a newly dead ghost wakes up in his lair.

* * *

The skeleton is again comfortably lounging under the bushes. Its eyes closed, it does not see the flower petals falling around its head. A sudden russell, the skittering of soft footsteps, ensnares its attention. Its body stirs, brushing against the branches and leaves. Red eyes catch a glimpse of rapid movement in front of the gravestones and the boney head pops up, out of the bush. A small gasp from whatever being is making the noise causes the skeleton to whip around. 

A humanoid ghost floats in front of it, covered from almost head to toe in black material, except for shockingly white hands, feet, and hair. Pale, slightly greenish skin covers the ghost’s face. And wide green eyes bore into the skeleton’s red eyes.

“Bones?” The boy asks quietly.

But the boney ghost does not understand. It stares silently, poised to attack or to flee. Instincts whisper that this intruder is much stronger than the wisps and blobs and could easily crush it.

The ghost boy floats forward, palms facing down. “ Bones.” He whispers again. “Please show me it’s you.”

Absently, the skeleton's clawed fingers brush the flowers (Something in the figure’s appearance is whispering to his mind) but the ghost remains silent.

“Bones. It’s me, Daniel. Do you remember me?” The boy took a step forward. “I am so happy to see you.”

Another step and the boney ghost shuffled backwards, primitive fear spiking in its core as it hisses.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, buddy. I’m not going to hurt you.” The ghost boy takes another step forward and the ghost hisses again, body coiling. “I bet you’re confused. But it’s okay. I’m here now.”

A final step and the skeleton pounces. The boy shrieks as the boney ghost knocks him over. His hands come up to protect his face but the skeleton just hisses. Clawed fingers become caught on the fabric and tear. The ghost then rolls off of the intruder. It stops, coming to lay out of reach of the other ghost. Empty red eyes stare, taking in the figure but there is no thought, no understanding. Just instinct, a need to survive.

The skeleton scrambles away, coming to hide under the bushes. It waits for an attack, for the stronger ghost to overtake it and claim its territory or to eat it. But no attack comes. The figure remains still, a sound raising from his throat. Not a roar of anger or a scream of rage. Not a shriek of fear or gasp of terror. But….wet sounds, a blubbering noise. 

The skeleton’s gaze fixes on the other ghost. The sound tickles something inside its mind. The thought grows. It’s roots spread and it blooms into a memory. A girl with black hair, crying on the gravel. She clutches her scraped knee. The boney ghost tentatively approaches before wrapping arms around her. A soothing humm buzzes his chest. “Bones.” The girl says fondly despite her tears.

The skeleton blinks and he’s back under the bush. He tilts his head, taking in the boy who he now realizes is crying. Why? A soft meeping sound exits the ghost’s mouth and the boy glances up. Green and red eyes meeting again, the boney ghost makes another low curious sound.

The boy’s brow furrows. “What are you….” 

The boy...Daniel...that’s the name he said….He has white hair and green eyes like the girl. The thought, the question flickers briefly in the skeleton’s eyes. 

Daniel reaches forward. “Bones?”

Sudden fear spikes at being reached towards. All thoughts leak out as self-preservation instincts lashed out. The skeleton hisses again. 

The boy trembles. More words...words that make no sense now...exit his mouth. “I think….I think you are him, but you don’t remember.” 

The volume is low, tone soft, but instincts still scream threat. Danger. The black and white ghost slowly stands. Scared, the boney ghost hisses and shuffles away. The other ghost backs up, frowning. “It’s okay. I’ll help you remember.”

The ghost curls up on itself, trembling. Too terrified to even try and bury itself. If it was capable of more coherent thoughts, it would have silently begged the other ghost to leave. The skeleton isn’t strong or fast. It couldn’t fight back or run away. The only hope is the threat losing interest. After a long pause, the other ghosts backs up farther. “It’s okay. I’ll….I’ll come back later. We’ll figure this out.”

The words are again quiet but so sad, desperate. It tickles something in the skeleton’s mind. It glances at the boy curiously before curling in tighter. Face falling, the other ghost rises above the ground and floats up. The green eyes are still fixed on the other ghost but he’s...leaving? The terror evaporates, being replaced by relief and….curiosity. Looking up, the ghost meeps again. It (he?) watches and wonders as Daniel flies away. Half formed thoughts flow through his head. Who is the boy? What is Bones? The prickle of memories in the back of his (?) mind….why? But soon, the ghost boy is too far away to be seen and as he disappears, so do all thoughts. 

* * *

Another day, some time later, the skeleton is laying in the tall grass. The time since its strange intruder visited has been much the same as before. Looking at the flowers, chasing away smaller ghosts, hiding from the larger hungry beast. It’s mostly quiet, empty. But…. boney fingers slowly dig into the dirt. Something tickles at a sluggish mind. A different place with vibrate green plants, red-petaled flowers, fresh wet-smelling dirt, and a BLUE sky. So impossibly different from here but the same too….Something...someone is missing….

A shadow falls over the skeleton and it looks up, finding a black and white blur. Whatever it is, the object is getting bigger...no closer. The boney ghost’s eyes widen in curious recognition. It’s the ghost boy from before and...he’s not alone. Two other figures trail him. 

Sudden fear spikes, clashing with the curiosity. The anxiety only grows as the three other ghosts approach. They are getting closer, barring down. It must flee but...too close, too close!! As three pairs of boots touch down, the skeleton frantically diggs. Its limbs and head disappear under the soil in an attempt to hide.

Two pairs of feet rush towards him, voices buzzing with frantic questions.

“Danny, Elle. Wait.” The same voice as earlier speaks and the feet stop. “He is scared of us.”

“But...why?” A high voice asks.

“He doesn’t remember any of us, does he?” A third voice, almost identical to the first but not quite, answers, carrying a hint of sadness.

“I do not think so.” The first speaker also sounds sad. “But…” There is a pause and he sounds slightly hopeful. “You both do think it’s him?”

“Yeah.. I mean I think so.” The third voice says with a bit of uncertainty. “He looks the same but..I did only see Bones once so I don’t know.”

“It’s him.” The second voice says with certainty. “I just...I can feel it. It’s Bones.”

Bones….Something pokes the skeleton's mind but it stays frozen, locked in fear at the too close, too loud voices.

“So what do we do now?” The third speaker asks.

There is a pause and then the sound of a body sitting down onto the ground with a huff. “We wait.” The higher pitched speaker answers. “He’ll have to stop hiding at some point and….” The figure trails off.

“We let him come to us.” The first speaker continues.

The grass ruffles at the two other figures sit down. It is silent after that as the three wait. The skeleton remains tense under the earth but its posture slowly relaxes as no movement occurs. The intruders do not approach to attack. They do not roar or yell or fight each other. Curiosity blooms, replacing the fear. The words drift into the boney ghost’s mind, reassembling like a picture which is slowly becoming clear. Understanding. Questions. Who are these three? Why are they here? Maybe...they are not dangerous. 

A skeletal hand pushes towards the surface, breaking free of the dirt. Claws part the dark soil until a head pokes up. Red eyes fixed on the group and three identical green pairs look back.

“Bones?” The shorter middle figure asks. Her (The skeleton realizes she is a girl) eyes are wide, full of desperate hope.

The word tickles his mind. It means something important, very important. But….

“Bones” The girl repeats. “It’s me, Danielle. Do you remember me?”

Softly, the boney ghost makes a confused humming sound, a question of his own. The words are familiar, wavering and pushing towards being understood. But he cannot put the pieces together, can’t fathom what she’s asking. 

The girl’s face falls and the boy to her right frowns. “What about me? Do you remember me? Daniel?”

This boy...Daniel. Those sounds, that word was one he’d heard before. He came here earlier and he cried. But why?

“Bones?” The last figure, the one on the left, askes.

The skeleton’s eyes flicker to the speaker. Another boy….and he looks just like Daniel. If the boney ghost had eyebrows, they would have wrinkled in confusion as he looked between the two boys.

“What is it, Bones?” The girl asks.

Red eyes continue flitting among the three figures. The same, they look the same. A mind that’s been blank and empty for too long races with confusion. 

“Bones? Bones?” Multiple voices question.

Fear bares down. No, not fear. He is not afraid, not afraid of the other ghosts. But...there are three of them and they are so familiar but foreign, at the same time. There are names and words that were pounding at his head, begging to be made sense of. The other ghosts keep talking, maybe to him or maybe to each other. But it is so much, too much. Unbearable, overwhelming. He can’t, can’t. 

“Brother?” Suddenly, the girl is standing several feet closer to him, her palms facing down.

The skeleton makes a noise that’s almost a scream. Frantically, it buries itself, deeper than before. Sometime later, the three intruders leave. The skeleton stays buried but eventually crawls to the surface.

* * *

The skeleton sits against the tombstone, waiting. Since the three other ghosts came, something has been different. Eyes falling on the black rose a few feet away. A memory. The girl, Danielle, picking flowers. The images dance, brushing at awareness and understand but they still drift away, leaving the boney ghost to stare vacantly.

So zoned out, the skeleton doesn’t notice the figure’s approaching. The girl and one of the boys touch down.

“Bones?” She asks quietly. “We’re back.”

Red eyes flash, clarity entering its gaze. The girl takes a single step forward, before lowering to her knees, palms down. “We brought you something.” While still keeping her eyes on the boney ghost, she removes a bag from her back. She unzips it before pulling out a red and green object and placing it on the ground.

The skeleton’s eyes widen in recognition. A red rose. 

“You remember this?” Danielle asks, voice fully of hope. “You always loved the flowers in the garden. The rose’s were your favorite. You’d collect the petals and throw them at me like confetti. I always laughed so hard at that.”

The boney ghost studies the plant. Yes, he remembers this from…..yellow light, warmth, the chirping of bird’s, Danielle’s laughter. He crawls forward.

The boy kneels beside the girl as she continues. “Your name is Bones. Urrr...well… that’s what I always called you, ‘cause Vlad never bothered to give you a real name. We can pick one for you, if you want.”

“Or help you choose one.” The boy suggested. “But no matter what you are our brother.”

Brother? The skeleton’s head tilts.

Danielle sighes. “I know this is all confusing. And I’m sorry.” She wrings her hands. “I’m sorry we didn’t find you sooner.”

“But we are here now. And we will not abandon you.” The boy says with conviction, eyes watering. “We’ll help you remember and...we will be a family.”

“We already are a family, Daniel.” The girl gently squeezes the boy’s hand, glancing at him. Then she looks back at the boney ghost. “And we still will be even if you don’t remember, Bones.”

Silence falls, the peaceful exchange becoming a standoff. The skeleton wants to approach, to investigate the plant but he remains cautious, unwilling to approach who he considers near strangers. 

“Come on, Elle.” Daniel stands and pulls the other ghost to her feet. “We should back up.” 

The pair retreat, out of arm’s reach. The boney ghost shuffles forward until his fingers brush the flowers. He gently fingers the petals. They are silky and smooth like the flowers of this isle but...different, more substantial and not as cold. Yet somehow the sensation is at the same time familiar. He has done this before, many times. But not here, not in this place. He glances up at the other two ghosts. They are also familiar. For the first time, he really wonders at who they are, what all this means.

The skeleton stays like that for a while as Danielle….Elle...and Daniel watch silently. But eventually a noise breaks through the quiet. There is a sigh as the girl slowly stands up. “So you like the flower?”

The boney ghost looks up, quickly looking between the flower and the other two ghosts. Shifting to sit, he pulls the plant closer to his chest.

Daniel smiles. “I think he does like it.” He stands up, addressing the skeleton ghost. “Can we come over to you, Bones?”

Still stroking the petals, the skeleton shakes his head.

Elle’s brow wrinkles, her voice rising in slight surprise. “No? Is that a no?”

“I think so.” Daniel put his hands out. “We won’t move.” The boy glances at the girl. “We should go ahead and leave. But we can come back later.”

Elle’s shoulders fall but she relents. “Okay. Bye Bones.”

With a wave, Daniel and Elle float off the ground and fly away, the skeleton watching as they go.

Once the pair is out of sight, the boney ghost turns attention back to the flower, studying the petals. It’s so pretty. And his...his flower, Bones’s flower. Bones’s flower? The word repeats in his head, tickling at understanding. But the meaning doesn’t quite connect; he still does not know what all this means, despite all the words. Bones? Vlad? Brother? Family? He does not know but as for the first time, awareness lingers and he wishes he did know. 

* * *

Elle and Daniel return and they keep coming back. Everytime, they bring the skeleton something. Other flowers, toys, books, paper and crayons. Everytime the boney ghost investigates while the other two watch from a distance. At first, they watch cautiously and quietly, clearly warry to scare the skittish ghost. The skeleton is similarly cautious at first but still, no attacks come and the things they bring him are nice.

The ghost glances down at the stuffed animal in his hands. It is soft and fluffy with little glass eyes. Elle said it was called a teddy bear? The skeleton holds the bear against his chest, hugging it. The toy feels nice against his bare limbs. He hums content and doesn’t hiss when Elle and Daniel take a step forward. After they leave, the boney ghost lays under the bushes, still hugging the bear.

The more Elle and Daniel visit, the more comfortable the skeleton becomes with them. A sense of anticipation grows at seeing them. As soon as they touch down and drop their offering, he’s rushing forward to explore, even as the other ghosts are backing up. The skeleton plays with the toys and flips through the books but he cherishes the vibrantly colored flowers most, though the paper and crayons are a close second.

Picking up the colorful sticks, the boney ghost hums questioningly. 

“These are crayons. You can use them to draw pictures or color.” Daniel explains. “I can show you if you would like.” 

After a pause, the boy cautiously walks forward and the skeleton doesn’t growl or hiss, letting him approach. Daniel stops on the other side of the pile of papers and crayons, close enough to reach the material but not quite close enough to touch the other ghost. Slowly, he lowers himself and grabs a piece of paper and a red drawing utensil. 

Daniel gently marks the paper. “See. If you press the crayon to the paper, you can draw.” A few more precise movements and Daniel turns the paper around so the skeleton can see. “I drew a flower. It is supposed to be a daisy, like we brought you last time. Do you remember that?”

The boney ghost nods in conformation. He does remember. Amazingly, he’s remembered things so much better since Daniel, Elle, and the other boy started visiting him.

Daniel smiles. “That is great.”

After that the skeleton turns attention back to the paper. He tries to copy what Daniel did but grips the crayon too tightly. It breaks when he presses it to the paper. He grumbles disappointedly.

The ghost boy softly corrects. “Be more gentle, Bones. Okay?”

Gentle. Yes. The boney ghost does as Daniel says, pressing more gently and drawing a wobbly line on the paper. He makes an excited cheep before quickly making more marks. Happily, the ghost scribbles while Daniel and Elle watch. 

After a moment, the girl flops down on her stomach beside Daniel and grabs her own sheet of paper. All three ghosts draw, or attempt to, for a long while. Elle sticks her tongue out in concentration while Daniel quietly hums to himself. Occasionally, the skeleton makes happy cheeps and warbles.

Eventually, the boney ghost notices his busy companions. He tilts his head, looking at Danielle’s paper and meeps curiously. Elle looks up at him for a moment before turning her paper around. “This is our family.” She points at the figures, drawn with a surprising amount of detail. “That’s me, in the middle. There’s Danny and Jazz, our older sister. Here’s Daniel and this…” She gently taps a black figure with red eyes. “This is you Bones.”

The skeleton chirps questioningly, the tilt of his head increasing. He studies the figure, mind full of confusion.

Elle’s expression fell. “Do you understand?” She points at her likeness and then to herself. “This is me…..and this is you.” 

The girl points at the figure on the paper, drawing the skeleton’s eyes. Then she points towards him. The boney ghost glances behind him, trying to find what she’s referring to. But his eyes widen in confusion at seeing nothing. 

He looks back to Elle who frowns and shakes her head. “You. This is you, Bones.” 

She points between him and the drawing more insistently. The skeleton’s confused eyes again follow her finger, taking in the drawing before glancing down at his own body. He repeats the action several times, looking at the drawing and then his own exposed ribs.

Daniel, who is still sitting beside Elle, speaks up. “Please, try to understand. I know that you can.”

The girl nods, her eyes wide and desperate. “Look here.” She pushes the paper closer. “This is me, Elle.” Again she points at the drawing and then herself. “And this is you, Bones.” She motions at the skeleton, her green eyes boring into his. “Please. Show us that you understand.”

If the skeleton had eyebrows, they would be furrowing as his simple mind struggles to understand. The importance, emphasized by their desperation, pulls at him. Shakily, uncertinaly, he copies Elle’s action, pointing at first his likeness in the drawing and then his own chest. 

Elle nods her head encouragingly. “Yes, that’s it.”

More surely, the skeleton points again. He taps his chest more insistently. Across from him, the other two ghost’s eyes light up. Their excitement encourages him; he grabs the paper and holds it to his chest, the image facing outward. He tabs on the dark skeleton on the paper.

“Yes! Yes!” The girl holds up her hands. “That’s you.”

The skeleton glances down at the paper before taping the shortest white haired figure and then pointing at Elle.

“Yes! That’s Elle.” Daniel smiles. The boney ghost points at the boy’s likeness and then at the boy himself. “And that is me!”

The boney ghost coos happily at the affirmation while the other two ghosts grin widely. “Yes! Yes!” Elle claps. “You’re doing so good, Bones.”

Bones…..The skeleton chirps at the word. And the girl stops clapping. “Bones?” She questions.

The skeleton chirps again, a happy and sure sound.

“Bones? What is it?” Daniel asks.

Immediately, the boney ghost’s red eyes meet Daniel’s. The skeleton humms, patting his chest. 

“Bones? Are you….” The girl trails off as the boney ghost chirps again.

Daniel’s eyes widen. “Are you trying to tell us you recognize your name, Bones?”

The skeleton, Bones, nods. He cheeps, motioning to his chest again.

“Is that a yes?” Elle’s eyes light up. She turns to Daniel. “I think that’s a yes!” Her head whipped to the side, taking in the boney ghost. “Oh, Bones. I’m so proud of you.” The girl shuffles forward, holding her arms out.

In the blink of an eye, Bones tenses and backs away. He whines sadly.

Elle’s arms fall to her side as her lips turn down. “Okay. No hugs yet. But still...I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Bones.” Daniel sighs wistfully. “This is good, very good. You’ll be able to remember the rest soon, I just know it.”

The skeleton relaxes slightly and hums contentedly. After a moment, Bones looks back down at the paper and crayons. He pushes a sheet towards the other two ghosts before picking another piece for himself.

Daniel tilts his head. “You want to draw some more?”

The skeleton nods and the trio draw, occasionally showing off their creations and trading comments, until Elle and Daniel have to leave. 

The pair stand up, offering waves and short goodbyes, before taking off. Again Bones watches them leave. Picking up his papers and crayons, the ghost crawls across the island to his pile of treasures. He sighs wistfully, grabbing his teddy bear.

He is still not sure what all this means, who Elle and Daniel are to him. He is not sure what all he’s supposed to remember. But….he knows, he understands his name now. Bones. It is nice to have something to call himself. It makes him feel more present, more real. Like he is someone, not just a random ghost skeleton. Like there might just be somewhere he belongs, if he can just figure it out.


	2. Cloak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ectober Day 7- Cloak

It feels like forever before Daniel and Elle return. Bones snaps up, eyes brightening when he spots them in the distance. Oh, he’d missed them so much! The ghost crawls across the island to meet them long before they touch down. He wants to show them his drawing, the one he made while they were gone. They will love it so much!

Bones glances up as he comes to a stop and tenses. A third figure is with the other two, more familiar ghosts. Cautiously the three touch down and the skeleton’s eyes widen. The third figure looks like Daniel.

The boy crouches, palms facing down. “I’m Danny. Do you remember me from the last time?”

Bones’s eyes widen more and he nods as the memories slowly return. Yes, yes. He remembers Danny.

Danny smiles. “Elle and Daniel told me you recognized your name last week. That’s great.” The boy lowers himself to his knees, taking a bag off of his back. “I brought you something this time.” He pulls out a large piece of white fabric, causing Bones to tilt his head questioningly. “The first time I met you, before…..” Danny’s lips turn down in a pained frown. “You ended up here, you were wearing a bedsheet. I thought it was pretty funny.” He snorts before he notices Bones’s head tilt. “Ya know. That’s how people dress up as a ghost, put a sheet over their head and cut out eye-holes….?” Bones meeps confusedly. “I guess you don’t know….Anyway… this is more of a cloak than a bedsheet but...I thought you might like it. Maybe it would help you remember something.”

Slowly, Danny puts his arms forward holding to cloak out to the skeleton who tentatively grabs it. Bones studies the garment, letting out a puzzled chirp.

Danny shakes his head. “I guess you don’t know how to put it on.” The boy reaches forward. “May it?”

The skeleton tilts his head contemplatively before nodding. Slowly, Danny unfolds the garment before draping it over Bones’s shoulders and pulling the hood over his head. The boy then pauses. “I need to tie the front closed.” He motions to the string just under the boney ghost’s chin. With another nod, Bones allows the boy to move closer. Cautiously, Danny ties the strings together in a bow. He scuttles back, studying the other figure. “It looks good on you.”

Bones gently fingers the fabric, appraising how it feels himself. The garment feels nice on his shoulders and back. There’s something safe and secure about being covered, something comforting. He very much likes the cloak.

Another moment passes before Danny speaks again, eyes fixed down. “About what happened the first time we met…..” The boy sucks in a breath. His eyes start watering. “I….I’m sorry. I...I didn’t know you were that unstable so when I shot you……” A tear falls down his face as he cuts himself off. 

Slowly, Daniel lowers himself to the ground beside Danny. He puts one arm around the other boy. “It’s okay Danny. Keep going.”

Danny swallows. “I’m...I’m so happy you reformed here. But I can...can never make up for what I did to you. I ki- I killed you.” More tears stream down the boy’s face. “I know you don’t remember but….I’m sorry.” 

Danny’s speech stops, the only noise soft whimpers as the boy wipes his face. At the same time, Elle lowers herself to put an arm around Danny from the other side. Bones watches. His head whirls, trying to understand the words and the display of emotion. Something inside of him clenches. Whatever it is, it resonates, it cries with the boy in front of him. The skeletal ghost lets out a pained whimper. 

Bones shuffles forward and doesn’t realize what he’s doing until he’s wrapping his arms around Danny. The skeleton humms comfortingly. In his arms, Danny stiffens, his sniffling quieting. The boy remains still, unmoving for several moments before shakily returning the hug.

“Bones?” The boy whispers. “You’re hugging me?”

The skeleton nods, still purring against the other’s chest. He glances to each side, meeting Elle and Daniel’s eyes. A moment later, more arms wrap around him. The four relax into a group hug and Bones’s core (that’s the thing crying inside of him, he suddenly realizes) just about vibrates out of his body. This, this feels so perfect, so right. He should have done this, allowed himself to be held long before now. 

But...he has…. A long forgotten memory springs to the forefront of his mind. A black haired little girl crying over a scraped knee. Wrapping arms around her. But who…..another image comes faster. The girl floats in a metal pod. The door opens. She stumbles around the lab on unsteady legs. But...the black haired girl? A white halo of light. Hair turns from white to black, eyes from green to blue. Danielle….Elle...Oh...both are the same girl. Both…. Watching Daniel float in his own pod, Elle stands in front with her hands across from the barely awake boy’s hands.

Bones rapidly pulls back, eyes hungrily taking in the two’s faces. Daniel and Elle...he knows them. He knew them before he came here. Before...there was something before but what?

Elle’s brow furrows. “What is it?”

The skeleton meets her eyes, the question pounding in his head. He chirps twice before whimpering in distress. He doesn’t know how to ask. But maybe…. He strains. More clicks and cheeps. Meeping and whimpering. Even a short yelp.

The girl’s hands go to his shoulders. “Bones! What is it?” She repeats.

Again, Bones makes a clicking noise. His mind screams. Elle, Elle. If he can make the word some out of his throat like Elle, Daniel, and Danny can, he can ask them everything. About what came before, about who and what they are.

More memories assault. A blue-skinned, fanged ghost yelling at him, pointing, demanding. A small pinprick of light and a hulkish figure, all three hiding in the closet from Master. All three and Danielle, him and his siblings, playing cards on the floor of the lab, in front of Daniel’s pod. Danny, his original... Master said he must make Danny change or he will be melted down into goo. Danny’s hand alight with ectoenergy, his expression morphing from anger to horror as the skeleton screams in pain, his bones liquifying.

Back on the island, Bones screams and scrambles back. The other three ghosts shoot up, loud questions pouring out of their mouths. Somehow his chest is heaving, or it feels like it is, despite not having even the shape for that. His whole body tingles and his core throbs. What the hell was that? His mind screams as the rest pours into his head. A dam is broken and an entire life, though a short one before he died, pours into his awareness. And still only half of it makes sense.

Elle and Daniel arguing pulls him out of his thoughts.

“What the hell was that?” The girl barks. “All that work and he’s back to being afraid of us!”

“Elle.” Daniel starts testedly.

“It’s not fair!” Elle balls her fists. “We finally found him and got him to trust us and and…” Her chest heaves, water collecting in her eyes.

“Elle.” Daniel tries again, putting a hand on her arm. “I think he just remembered everything.”

“What?” Another voice, Danny’s, cuts in quietly.

Daniel turns back. “Earlier, I think he was trying to talk, to ask us something.”

The girl frowns. “It did sound like that. But...why do you think he remembers?”

The boy swallowed, fixing his gaze on Bones. “Look at his face. I...I remember what it was like, remembering everything after I woke up here.”

Daniel slowly approached and knelt down beside the skeleton. “Do you remember?”

Sharp clarity enters the boney ghost’s eyes, much more awareness than anytime after he woke up on this island. He nods.

“You do?” Carefully, Daniel puts a hand on Bones’ arm and helps him into a sitting position. “It will be okay. I...I had to go through this as well. I will help you.” 

Whimpering, Bones pulls himself into his brother’s arms. Daniel holds him until he stops shaking.

After what feels like a small eternity, the skeleton pulls away. At some point, Danny and Elle had sat down within arms length as well. Eyes softening, Bones leans forward, hugging Elle and then Danny. 

After pulling out of the hug, Danny’s lip quivers. “Are you...are you angry at me about what...what I did to you?”

Bones hums, thinking for a moment. Is he angry? He thinks back, to the horror in Danny’s face in his memory. The sorrow and guilt as he was apologizing earlier. He glances at Daniel and Elle, who both comforted the boy during his breakdown, who said Danny was their family. Looking back, Bones shakes his head. Maybe he hasn’t really had time to process and maybe he will be later but...right now he isn’t.

Danny’s brow wrinkles in confusion. “You’re not?” He questions disbelievingly.

The skeleton shakes his head again and the boy in front of him relaxes.

There’s another silent pause as Bones takes in the ghosts around him, his siblings, his family again. With Elle and Daniel visiting him for weeks and patiently waiting for him to be comfortable enough to approach, how didn’t he realize?

“I guess we should explain everything to you now, huh? Since you can’t actually tell us how much you remember.” Danny asks. 

Bones nods in confirmation and the other three ghosts start their story. About how Danny and Elle are both something called half ghosts, how Bones and the rest of their siblings are clones, who made then and why, how Bones and Daniel met the end of their half-human lives and what happened after to Danny and Elle, how Daniel woke up in the Infinite Realms (the name for this place), how he grew stronger inside their lair and eventually left to find his siblings.

Bones drinks in the onslaught of information. There is so much, some of which he knows or could guess, like who made him and the other clones and why. But also much he does not. It is overwhelming and after there is silence for a long while as Bones processes.

“So what now?” Daniel finally speaks. He turns to Bones. “Do you want to come to the lair with us?

The skeleton tilts his head. Lair?

Danny gently elbows the other boy. “I don’t think he knows what that is, Niel.”

Daniel nods. “It’s our home.” He smiles, wistfully. “There is a garden you will love. Each of us have our own rooms. And there is food, a place to train our powers. You’ll be safe and can help us look for the others. What do you think?” He asks the skeletal ghost.

Bones eyes light up. A safe place, away from the monsters that roamed the open Zone. A home with his siblings. He nods enthusiastically. 

Danny frowns. “Guys...I don’t think he’s strong enough to travel that far though” 

Elle blinks. “Why wouldn’t he be?”

The half ghost tilts his head back and forth. “It’s a long flight, almost half a day. And….he didn’t feel very strong when we were hugging.”

Bones chirps questioningly, drawing Danny’s attention. 

Guessing the question, Danny explains. “Your core. When we were touching, I could feel it.” At the still confused expression, the halfa motions to his chest, right over where his heart would be in human form. “Put your hand right here.” Tentatively, Bones does as instructed. “If you focus, you should be able to feel my energy. It’s kinda like a handprint, different for each ghost and you should be able to feel how strong it is.”

The skeletal clone focuses on the sensation radiating into his palm. There is a steady pulse of cold energy trickling into him and...something else. Maybe a scent or a color? Or somehow both at the same time? No, it’s neither, a sensation that isn’t encompassed by his sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste. Something known by the core and the mind which he doesn’t have a word for.

“Other ghosts call it an aura.” Danny interjects. “It’s kinda...a measure of your soul, like what you’re feeling and thinking and who you are. Only ghosts that are family to each other can feel it.”

Bones hums, taking in the information with a nod.

“Here. Try me next.” Elle offers.

The other clone removes his hand and places it on his sister’s chest. He focuses on feeling her energy and aura. The pulse is constant and strong, like Danny’s. But the aura is similar in some ways but distinctly different in others. After a moment, Bones removes his hand before feeling Daniel’s aura as well.

“Do you see what they mean?” The other full ghost asks. “Your core is much weaker than any of ours.”

Dropping his hand, the clone tilts his head and warbles, his best attempt at asking why without saying the word.

Daniel bit his lip. “After I reformed here, I was not strong enough to leave the lair for weeks. I trained my powers, ate, slept, and learned all I could to grow stronger but...” He looks down guiltily. “You have been here alone. I would guess you have not eaten or slept at all. You’ve been able to hide to prevent any of the numerous dangers on the Realms from...ending you but…”

“That won’t last.” Elle’s voice cracks with emotion before turning determined. “Unless we take you with us.”

Danny shakes his head. “But that still doesn’t solve the problem. He still isn’t strong enough to travel.” He glances at the bottom of Bones’ spine, which contains no pelvis and legs fused to it. “We’ve only seen you crawl so I’m guessing you can’t fly.”

Sadly, Bones shakes his head.

Daniel frowns. “One of us could carry him.”

Danny wrinkles his nose thoughtfully. “I guess, if it’s our own option.”

“Guys.” Elle cuts in. “I have an idea but no one’s gonna like it.” She glances down at the thermos on Danny’s belt. “What if we carry him in that?”

Bones tilts his head, considering the object curiously. How would he fit inside that small space?

“The Fenton thermos?” Danny shook his head. “No.”

“Why not?” Daniel questions. “It can securely hold a ghost and will keep him safe if we run into trouble and have to fight.”

“No. Just...You and Elle have never been inside that thing.” Danny shivers. “It’s...it’s awful. You can’t see, hear, or feel anything. It’s like...you don’t even have a body, just...no.”

“Well, we can’t just do nothing!” Elle holds up her hands. 

“I’m not saying we do nothing Elle! But….with how weak Bones is, this is a bad idea.” Danny argues. 

“That’s why we’re even talking about this, Danny!” The girl huffed.

“I know that! It’s just...you guys don't get it. The thermos...it compresses you, forces you down to your core. When you get dumped out, you have to kinda….put yourself back together. And it sucks. It’s disorienting and uncomfortable, even if you’re feeling pretty strong. But if you’re weak….” The boy bits his lip, nervously. “It’s so much worse.”

Elle blinks, taking in the information for a moment before her face tints green with anger. “I’m sorry….are you saying the thermos is dangerous? Why the heck are you using it on ghosts?”

“I didn’t say that.” Danny barks out. “It doesn’t actually hurt….that badly.” The girl glares and the other halfa holds up his hands. “I swear! I mean, the first time I got dumped out of one, I threw up...and had a headache after. That didn’t happen ‘till I turned back so maybe that’s because I’m only half ghost. But...I don’t want Bones to have to go through that if he doesn’t have to.”

The female halfa opens and closes her mouth a few times, searching for a response. After a moment, her shoulders fall. “I guess...what are we supposed to do then?”

There is a contemplative pause before Daniel cuts in. “Why don’t we ask Bones what he wants to do?”

The two half ghosts and one full ghost turn to Bones. The skeletal ghost humms thoughtfully, considering his options. He wants to go with Daniel, Elle, and Danny but he wants all of them to be safe as well. If the thermos, no matter how unpleasant it is, is his best option….

Tentatively, the skeleton points to the device still connected to Danny’s belt.

The halfa’s eyebrows raise. “You want to go in the thermos? Are you sure?”

Bones nods and gives an affirmative chirp.

Danny bits his lip. “Alright...I still really don’t like this. But if you really want to do this, we will.” He unclips the thermos from his belt. “Do you want to go ahead and go?”

Warrily, the skeletal ghost studies the device, pulling his cloak more tightly around him. He looks up, behind the other ghosts in front of him, and points.

His siblings turn around, following his boney finger. Daniel’s eyebrow raises. “You want to take your toys and things with us?”

Bones nods, scuttling towards his pile of treasures after the other three stand up. After taking a few moments to show off his belongings to the other ghosts, he places the objects in the bag Danny brought with the halfa’s help. 

“There.” Danny says, placing the last of the crayons inside . “Anything else?”

Bones looks around before fingering the material of his cloak. With unsure fingers, he reaches for the tie. Danny bends down to untie it. “It probably is a good idea to take it off before. I doubt it’ll condense like one of our hazmat suits would.”

The skeleton hums in acknowledgment before gently shaking the garment off his shoulders and offering it to the boy who folds and places it in the bag. Danny finally zips up the container before standing. “Ready?” He questions, nervously fingering the thermos. “Just brace yourself, okay? And don’t be scared. I know being pulled in sucks but don’t fight it; it’s less uncomfortable if you let it happen.”

Bones nods, before looking down as his own core twists with nerves. He braces, mentally preparing for the uncomfortable sensation. After several moments, nothing happens so he looks back up at Danny.

The boy is biting his lip. “Actually...I have an idea for something that should help.” Reaching into a pocket in his suit, the halfa pulls out a small tube filled with glowing green liquid.

Elle raises an eyebrow. “Purified ectoplasm?”

“It’s actually Ecto-dejecto but...basically yeah.” Green eyes met Bones’s red ones. “It’ll give you an energy boost that’ll make reforming after easier.” He frowns. “You’d normally drink it or inject it…”

“You sprayed it on me, when you...ya know.” The girl swallows and then shrugs. “Maybe he can absorb it through his...well, not skin but….his bones, I guess.”

“Huh.” Danny wrinkles his nose in thought. “I guess we can try that.” He kneels down to be more at Bones’ eye level again. “I’m gonna pour this on your head, if that’s okay.”

The boney ghost hums in agreement and the males halfa uncaps the vial before carefully pouring it. The thick liquid drips onto the skeleton’s head, causing him to stiffen in surprise. As the icy cold droplets touch, he can feel it soak through his skull and down into his core. The organ clenches, swirling with the newly added power. His glow flashes, brightening for a moment and then maintaining the increased luminosity. The energy spreads down, making his body tingle, his bones throb pleasantly. Something itches at the base of his spine. Again, his core pulses, the feeling somehow lower, almost inside his chest. 

“Wow...Is that…” Elle points at his chest, eyes wide with awe.

The skeleton looks down and something flashes within his ribcage. He warbles startledly. A light blue orb swirls literally inside his chest. His finger hover over his sternum, itching to reach inside and touch the light. But something stops him, literally. His fingers waver, unable to poking between the ribs by some invisible force. Frowning, Bones tries again but a hand reaches to stop him. 

“Do not try to touch your core.” Daniel, who is now standing in front of him, rebukes. “It is very sensitive and you could hurt it.”

Whining in shame, Bones allows his hand to fall to the side. He continues looking down in awe and taking in the feelings…..the itching below his ribs is getting stronger. He flexes his tail at the end of his spine and wonders why something feels different.

Shaking away the thoughts, Bones looks up and points at the thermos.

“Right. Yeah.” Danny shakes his head, collecting himself.

Again, the skeleton braces as his older brother activates the thermos. The beam of light projects forth and Bones is pulled in, unable to ever yelp as his body is compressed. A swift squeezing sensation presses him and all goes black.


	3. Darkness

Being inside the Fenton thermos is darkness...nothingness. No sight, no sound, no touch. Nothing. Bones exists as only a disembodied mind, floating in a void. No sense of time or movement. Like nothing Bones has ever experienced, except….a terrifying thought enters the clone’s mind as images of his newly remembered past drift. Again...the burning pain of his death and then Darkness, Nothingness. He suddenly blinks awake on his island……

This is far too similar to whatever lied between the end of his half-human life and the beginning for his afterlife.

A sudden jolt and Bones is flung out of the thermos. For a second, he remains a mind without a body, a core suspended in air with the barest awareness that something exists beyond himself. A jerk and his body pops back into existence. Falling heavily...somehow he’s heavier than before….he hits the ground, taking a mouthful of dirt. Dirt? Newly reformed eyes look up, squinting in the bright light of his surrounding. Or maybe it’s not that lights are blinding, but rather he’s struggling to adjust to having eyes again. 

The skeleton blinks, eyes adjusting. The first thing he registers in green around him. His eyes widen. Those are trees and bushes. Splashes of red and orange and blue and purple. Flowers….so many flowers.

“Bones?” 

The skeletal ghost looks up at the speaker, Elle. Her eyes are wide with shock and pointing at something behind him. He glances back, catching sight of something back at the edge of his vision.

“Dude.” Danny gaps, wearing a similar expression to their sister. “You have legs.”

Bones gasp in surprise before quickly rolling onto his back and sitting up. He opens and closes his mouth in disbelief. In front of him lie two fully formed, if entirely skeletal, legs. Hardly believing his eyes, the ghost leans forward, feeling up and down the new limbs with his hands. He warbles confusedly at registering the sensation. Tentatively, he wiggles the boney digits at the end of his feet (his feet!). They move with his mental command. More confidently, Bones continues, flexing his ankles and bending his knees. A smile stretches across his face...or as much of a smile as he can manage without facial muscles. It...it’s true. It’s true! He had legs! Happiness wells in his core and a mirthful sound bursts from his mouth.

“You just laughed.” The boney ghost looks up at Daniel’s awe filled declaration.

Elle jumps up and down excitedly. “You laughed! You laughed! I’ve never ever heard you laugh before!”

The sound stops as Bones also realizes this. That noise...he’s never made it before. And it feels so good, so right. He laughs again and his siblings join, forming a chorus of laughter. It’s the most beautiful thing Bones has ever heard.

After several moments, the sound quiets down. Elle stops jumping but a grin remains plastered on her face. At the same time, Danny offers him a hand. “You wanna try standing?”

Bones looks at his legs, sudden nervousness pulsing in his core. Standing on his own two legs….the thought is daunting after spending most of his existence crawling. But…. the ghost nods in agreement anyway.

With great effort, Bones leans forward. His legs roll towards the side, until his hands are bracing against the floor and his knees under him. He glances up, unsure what to do next. 

“That foot.” Danny points. “Swing it forward so it’s against the floor.” 

Gentle hands grab his leg, helping him into position. “That’s it.” Elle encourages.

“Now push up with your leg.” The other halfa instructs.

Bones whines, certain he’s not strong enough to do it on his own.

Daniel bends down, grabbing his hand. “We’re all right here to help you.”

“Come on.” Danny grabs his other hand.

With Danny and Daniel pulling, Elle behind him, and Bones himself pushing up, the ghost is eventually pulled to his feet. His knees shake and his legs wobble, threatening to collapse. But he doesn’t fall, supported by his siblings who are all beaming.

“How about walking now?” Elle suggests.

Bones nods, agreeing. Tentatively, he lifts one foot before swinging it forward, following motions he’s seen his siblings perform and somehow feel natural to him, despite having never walked before. Still arm in arm with Danny, Daniel, and Elle, Bones puts one foot down before lifting the other. Another step. The skeletal ghost beams while the others offer encouragement, congratulations.

The group shuffles forward, Bones eventually letting go of his supports one by one. 

“Are you ready to try by yourself?” Daniel asks and the boney ghost nods. “I will let go then. One. Two. Three.” On the final count, he lets go.

Bones’s knees wobble for a moment before buckling. He starts to fall forward but three pairs of hands reach to catch him.

“I think that’s enough for now.” Danny suggests. “Let’s all sit down.”

Slowly the group works towards a picnic table under one of the trees.

Elle glances down at the skeleton’s wobbling legs. “I’m still wondering why exactly those showed up.”

Bones looks down as well, giving a questioning warble.

“The Ecto Dejecto maybe?” Danny offers. “It did stabilize you, Elle.”

“Yeah but...extra limbs?” The girl shrugs.

“I am sure Bones was supposed to have legs.” Daniel says. “The Ecto Dejecto just gave him the energy boost for them to form.”

The boney ghosts tilts his head back and forth, considering. He looks down at his feet, feet which he hadn’t had ten minutes ago. But they feel so natural, like he was always supposed to have them but they’d been missing. Bones hums, agreeing with his brother’s idea.

The group arrives at the table. Bones sits down, finally taking the chance to observe his surroundings. As he noticed earlier, the area is full of plants. His gaze trails the stone paths, the pond surrounded by a band of stones. Something buzzes past his head. Eyes widen...a blob ghost? Actually, there are many blob ghosts and wisps. A small, double tailed lizard darts across the table.

“This is the garden in our lair.” Daniel explains. “We thought you would like it.”

Bones nods. He does like the garden, very much! He listens while Daniel explains how he found and planted the vegetation here. More stories follow from his other siblings, about Elle’s travels and Danny’s adventures in a town called Amity Park. That is how Bones learns that the male halfa doesn’t live here with Elle, Daniel, and now him, explaining why he hadn’t visited as often before.

“Hopefully, I can come by more often now. The lair’s much closer to the portal than your island. Plus it’s drifted closer since Elle and I were first here.”

Bones excitedly nods, very much liking that idea.

The halfa stands up. “I do need to go now though. I told Jazz I’d be back by the morning.” He yawns. “Bye Elle, Bye Niel, Bye Bones!” Also standing, Elle and Daniel hug their oldest brother. Then the boy bends down as Bones reaches up to hug him as well. “I’m so happy you’re here, bro.”

The skeletal ghost hums in reply. He watches as Danny floats out before waving and offering a last “Love you guys!” as he disappears through the door.

* * *

After resting for a while, Elle and Daniel give Bones a tour of the lair. The bedrooms, the kitchen, the livingroom, the training room. The trio walk into an empty room.

“This can be your room.” Daniel says.

Bones meeps in confusion.

“Just imagine what you want it to look like and the lair will make it.” Elle explains. “Like if you imagine a bed…”

With a pop, a full-sized bed appears. Bones’s eyes widen and he looks slightly down at Elle (it’s so strange to be taller than her and able to look his siblings in the eye without them sitting on the ground).

“Go ahead. Picture what you want.” She instructs.

Bones closes his eyes (he’s pretty sure he didn’t actually have eyelids before the thermos either). He pictures Daniel’s room, the same furniture, a rug on the floor, crayons of every color and lots of paper. The objects appear.

“Good job, Bones.” Daniel congratulates.

With help, Bones amples across the room. Opening the bag which Danny left in the lair, he takes out his treasures. He places the teddy bear on his bed, the paper and crayon on his desk. He imagines a box for his blocks, action figures, and toy cars, as well as a vase for his flowers. The skeleton hums in contentment at his space.

After a moment, Elle yawns. “I need ta go to bed.”

“Me too.” Daniel nods. He turns to Bones. “You should try to sleep as well.” His expression turns soft. “You are perfectly safe here so let your mind relax.”

The girl stands and waves. “See you in the morning.” 

“Goodnight.” Daniel offers, before both leave the room.

For a while, Bones sits on the bed. He pulls his cloak from the bag and wraps it around himself, thinking about everything that has happened. He remembers who he is now. He has a family and a home. For the first time since he died, he’s safe, truly safe. And today, he walked for the first time. Sighing happily, the ghost flops onto the bed. This, all of this, is good. For once, he feels excited for the future and eager to face it with his siblings. For the first time since his death, the skeleton drifts to sleep.

* * *

Bones discovers many other things in the first days as well. After waking up to Daniel knocking on his door, the ghost boy helps him stumble into the kitchen. They enter to find Elle sitting at the table.

She waves. “Good morning!”

The skeletal ghost chirps in greeting before curiously studying the scene. The girl’s hair is black, her eyes the blue of her human form. And she’s eating something that clearly does not glow from a bowl.

“It’s cereal.” She explains between bits.

After helping the boney ghost onto a chair, Daniel walks the pantry and pulls out a box. He grabs a bowl from the counter and pours his own cereal, though this time slightly glowing. He sits down beside Bones, as the ghost curiously looks between the two bowls.

Daniel notices his gaze. “Do you want to try some?” 

The boy pushes the bowl towards the other ghost who copies Elle’s action. He takes a spoon offered by his brother and with shaky hand scopes up some cereal. Tentatively he puts the bit of food in his mouth. He attempts to chew as Elle and Daniel do, crushing up the dry cereal. But it is not all that effective. With no tongue or salvia, the food becomes a dry crushed pile in his mouth. And with no throat, he cannot swallow. 

The skeleton opens and closes his mouth a few times, before whining. The food falls out of his mouth, like falling sand.

Elle laughs. “I guess that won’t work.”

Bones makes a distressed noise before pointing at her bowl. 

The girl shakes her head. “You don’t want this. It’s human food.”

Daniel nods. “Even if you could swallow it, you would not be able to taste it; it is meant for humans..or half-humans. Besides..” He holds up his bowl. “That is why we have this.”

“Ectoplasm-based food for the full ghost.” Elle wrinkles her nose slightly in disgust.

Daniel rolls his eyes. “You eat it as well, Elle.” He cracks a smile. “And do not deny you love my tiger fruit pie.”

The girl shakes her head pointing. “Fine, okay. That stuff you grow in the garden is pretty good but lair-made food….eww” She sticks out her tongue.

Below their feet, the lair buzzes almost offendedly. Bones stiffs at the sudden display.

Elle’s lips turn down. “Sorry.” She mutters, addressing the lair. “I know you try your best. It’s just my picky half-ghost taste buds.” The lair hums again, this time more concerned. “You don’t havta worry about me eating. Between the stuff from the garden and what I absorb just being in the Zone, my ghost half definitely gets enough food.”

The ground under them vibrates again, this time reassured. Greatly confused, Bones whines in distress. He looks between Elle and Daniel, silently asking for an explanation. Apparently just then, the lair notices his reaction and hums in anxiety. The skeleton warbles, volume increasing.

A soothing hand appears on his bare arm bone. “It’s okay. Remember last night, when I explained how the lair is sentient? That is just how it talks to us.”

A comforting buzz sounds through the arm, wordlessly agreeing with Daniel’s explanation. The nervous pulsing of Bones’ core slows. He nods in acknowledgement.

Daniel removes his hand. “There you go. You are fine.”

After that, the boy and girl turn back to their food. Silence falls for a few moments as Bones watches them eat, a strange sadness creeping into his core. An almost longing look enters his eyes.

Maybe the lair notices his change in mood because a few moments later, the lair buzzes concernedly. With a pop, a sandwich and glass of glowing green liquid appear in front of Bones. The skeletal ghost warbles, half confused and half sad. 

At the same time, Daniel blinks at the food in confusion. “What is that for?”

Elle suddenly drops her spoon, eye widening in concern. “We were just talking about making sure my ghost half eats enough….and Bones physically can’t eat at all.”

The boy frowns. “Oh. That is a problem.”

“Uh, yeah it is.” The girl bites her lip. “How is he supposed to get enough energy?”

Daniel ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I suppose he has been passively absorbing the ectoplasm in the air but…” The boy’s eyes fix on the glass. “We saw last night, he can absorb liquid ectoplasm through physical contact.”

Elle’s gaze also goes to the glass. Apparently she picked up on what Daniel was thinking as she grabbed the glass and shoved it into Bones’ hands. “Why don’t cha try it again?”

Bones gives her a slightly skeptical look but lifts the glass and turns it, preparing to pour the liquid on his head. A smile breaks out on Elle’s face and she laughs. 

Daniel shakes his head, chuckling. “Try pouring it into your mouth instead, Bones.” The skeletal ghost warbles in question and his brother raises an eyebrow. “I know that you cannot swallow, but you can absorb it through the inside of you mouth just as easily as from the top of your head, can you not?”

The boney ghost tilts his head back and forth in consideration before pouring the thick glowing liquid into his mouth. As soon as it touches his teeth, the cold assaults him. It fills his mouth from his hard palate, to his teeth and the sides of his jaw, and to the empty space where his tongue would be if he had one. Really, it makes no sense. The liquid should fall through the opening at the bottom but it does not (He should not have been able to chew that cereal either). Instead it swirls in his mouth until the liquid trickles into his very bones. Bones gaps at the sudden energy. It spreads down, surging towards his core along some invisible path. He looks down. No, not invisible. Hair-thin, neon green lines light up inside his rib cage, connecting to his core. The organ visibly pulses, flashing brighter. Another gaps, this time accompanied by the phantom sensation of his chest taking in air. His glow flashes a moment later and his whole body tingles.

“Woah.” Elle’s eye widen in awe.

“This is...Wow” Daniel trails off, uncharacteristically non eloquent.

“Is that absorbing ectoplasm looks like on the inside?” The girl questions.

“I do not know.” The full ghost furrows his brow, before addressing Bones. “Do you feel alright?”

The skeleton ghost looks up from examining his core in awe. He chirps enthusiastically. He feels wonderful.

With an answer, Elle and Daniel turn attention back to their meal. After, they help Bones walk around the lair. They spend a few hours in the garden while Bones practices walking by himself. Almost bouncing, the skeleton puts one foot in front of the other. He can still feel the energy swirling in his core, the energy flowing down into his limbs. He’s never felt this strong, this energetic. He confidently walks between the tree, humming happily. This feels incredible, being able to walk on his own. He stops for a moment, holding onto the tree. The feeling of the damp soil under his feet, the bark on his hand, the artificial light on his limbs. It feel incredible, more vivid and real that ever before. 

The skeleton looks down, smiling as his wiggles his toes into the dirt. A brief question drifts through his mind. How exactly is he moving his toes when his digits do not actually connect to the bones of his foot? But he forgets the thought soon enough as a blob ghost lands on his arm.

“Blobby!” Daniel jogs forward and pets the small ghost.

Bones pets the blob as well, cooing at it. A few moments later, it floats off and Bones starts walking again, his energy high. He traverses every inch of the garden, enjoying the grass under his feet, the cool water as he steps in the pond. 

But too soon for his liking, the energy boost from this morning crashes. His knees wobble after a few steps and he falls. Daniel and Elle rush forward to help him up.

“Here.” Once he’s standing again, Elle offers a walking stick. “Try this.”

The skeleton grips the stick eagerly. With some effort, he stumbles forward but makes it several feet more before his knees wobble. But they do not collapse. After taking thirty seconds to steady himself, Bones starts walking again. Ten more steps and he makes it to one of the benches.

Daniel pats him on the back. “I think you got a little over eager earlier. Let’s take it slower, alright?”

Bones hums in agreement. He sits for a while, watching the blob ghost and wisps chase each other around the garden. In front of him, Elle and Daniel pick fruits and vegetables from one of the plots. Daniel gently prunes one of the vines and Elle picks a few flowers before presenting them to Bones. The skeleton hums in gratitude, studying the flowers before pulling one out of the bundle and gently placing it in Elle’s hair. The girl laughs, drawing the other full ghost’s attention. He floats over to the pair and receives a similar flower in his hair. More laughter ensues.

After a moment, Elle wipes her eyes. “Come on.” She pulls Bones to his feet. “Let’s go to the game room. I wanna show you how to play cards.”

The rest of the day includes learning several card games, drawing pictures, two more meals, and being read to by Daniel. Much sooner than Bones would like, the three go to bed.

Blinking quickly and hardly able to keep her eyes open, Elle stumbles to her room. “Night.” She mumbles with a wave.

The boney ghost pouts as Daniel helps him to his bedroom. Once through the doorway, Daniel lets go of him, allowing the skeleton to walk by himself. Bones starts towards the desk, wanting to draw, but his brother stops him. “You need to go to bed, Bones.”

The boney ghost crosses his arms, hissing mildly. He wants to stay awake! He’s not even tired.

Daniel rolls his eyes. ‘Please, brother. Do not be difficult.”

Bones hisses, more angrily. He pulls away, stumbling to the desk again but his knees buckle and he falls.

Daniel rushes to help, pulling him up and directing him to the bed. Bones whines, still crossing his arms. He chirps and meeps, again trying to form words. He wants to complain. There is still so much to do and see! But he can’t.

The ghost boy sighs, lips turning down into a frown. “I know you are not tired but…. At least stay in here and stay quiet. Elle needs to sleep.” The skeleton’s sour mood lessens as the other ghost explains. “We have tried to maintain a twenty-four hour cycle here, for Elle. Since she is half human, she still needs regular daily sleep unlike full ghosts like us. I know it is hard but keeping that schedule helps her. Living in the Realms is very hard for a half human; it is easy to lose track of time and stop eating and sleeping so we need to look out for her. Do you understand, Bones?”

The skeletal ghost nods soberly, suddenly feeling ashamed. Daniel pats his back, noticing how his head falls. “It is alright.” The boy stands. “I am going to my room now. Good night.”

Bones waves as the boy leaves. He stays awake for a while, looking through one of his books but soon enough goes to sleep.

* * *

Over the next few days, a pattern clearly establishes itself. Regular meals and sleep interspersed with different activities with his siblings. Drawing and coloring. Card games and board games. Tending the garden. Playing with the blob ghosts and their pet lizards. Watching Elle and Daniel train their powers. Flipping through books and being read to.

Bones learns so much as Daniel reads to him about all manners of things. The History and science of the realms- about far away islands and the great beast that roam. About the world of the living- history, geography, science, art. Fiction, stories so many stories. Bones loves fairytales. He loves looking at the pictures and following the words as Daniel points them out. The boy even starts teaching the skeleton his letters and numbers.

Elle helps him walk. He makes slow progress but is getting stronger and can soon walk unassisted, though his balance is still lacking. Elle teaches him so many games like Tag and hide and go seek. They play ball and chase each other through the garden as Daniel reads under one of the trees. 

There is so much to see and do and Bones is happy, so very happy. He is loved and safe and belongs but yet sadness sneaks into Bones’ core.

* * *

Elle and Daniel are talking to each other again. Those two are always talking, making jokes, telling stories, bantering. This time though, they are arguing about the rules for one of their board games.

“Elle! That is cheating!”

“No it’s not! It says it right here!” The girl argues.

Bones grumbles, trying to cut into their conversation.

“Let me…” Daniel snatches the paper from her. “That is not what this says at all.”

The skeleton warbles and reaches forwards, wanting to see the rules as well.

“Yes it is!” His sister barks. “You’re just reading it wrong.”

Bones squeaks. He meeps. He chirps and cheeps. His hands grab at his neck, straining to speak. To ask to see the rule, to play another game. To tell them to stop arguing.

A frustrated groan exits his throat but it is too quiet. Elle and Daniel miss it over their argument. The skeleton’s core pulses in distress. He wants to talk! Stupid throat! Stupid! Why won’t his voice just work?! Something prickles at his eyes, welling up before spilling out. A sound forces its way out of his mouth. 

His sibling’s heads whip to face him, expressions softening. “Are you….crying?” Elle asks.

Bones’s hand drifts up towards his face. Water comes away and his eyes widen.

“What is it?” Daniel asks.

And Bones just about cries again. He cannot say. Literally. Never more than then had he wanted a voice. His shaking hands grip his throat and he hopes one of his siblings will understand.

Daniel’s eyes drift down before widening. “Oh Bones. You were trying to get our attention but we were ignoring you.”

The skeleton nods, before shaking his head. Yes. No. He was upset about being ignored but…

“I don’t understand. Yes or no?” Elle asks.

Bones shakes his head again, more forcefully while gripping his throat. Please understand. Please, his mind begs.

Blank expressions remain. Bones lets out another sob. Shakingly he reaches forward and grabs Elle’s hand. He places it on his throat.

“What are you....” The boney ghost gently places a hand over her voice box. He hums, again trying to form words but without a tongue it is impossible.

Elle studies him for a moment, eyes widening in realization. “You can’t speak.” She shakes her head “You’re upset that you can’t talk.”

Enthusiastically, Bones nods. Yes! Yes! That’s it!

The girl’s lips turn down, guilt creeping onto her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize…”

Daniel looks down. “I did not either.”

There is a pause as the other two ghosts look down, clearly guilty. Bones meeps, trying to say that it’s okay, that he understands. But...the same problem remains.

“We’ll...we’ll figure out something.” Elle says finally. “Someway for you to talk to us.”

“We can teach you how to write or...sign language?” Daniel frowns. “I will look into it, I promise.”

The boney ghost hums in gratitude at the statement, feeling a bit of hope stir in his core.

* * *

Daniel does as he promises. He asks the lair for a book on something called American Sign Language, which it produces. After a few hours of studying and practicing on his own, Daniel sits down with Bones and begins teaching him. It is…...incredibly difficult and frustrating. 

“Like this.” Daniel motions again. “Hold these three fingers together and then…no these three.”

Bones tries again, but his fingers stubbornly refuse to bend to his instruction. He growls in frustration. 

His brother glances at the book again. “Wait....” He turns the page. “These illustrations are so hard to read.” He motions again. “Back and forth, not up and down or… wait yes. I was right the first time.”

Bones gave it another try but his fingers still don’t want to work. Another growl. 

The other ghost sighs. “Let’s put this away for today.” He smiles encouragingly. “Good job.”

Bones almost scoffs, crossing his arms.

Daniel shakes his head. “I should do something fun. How about we watch a movie?”

The trio sit on the couch, watching a movie. According to Elle, Danny had brought a bunch of these from the material world, since this was one thing the lair had trouble making or bringing to them. Bones sits between Elle and Daniel, his eyes fixed on the screen. People run across the screen, a group of human kids chasing something. Idly, the skeletal ghost runs fingers through Elle’s hair. The girl leans into the touch, clearly enjoying the feeling. Bones enjoys it as well. Her hair is smooth and silky. It feels nice in his fingers. And...his core pulses uncomfortably...he wishes he had hair like Daniel and Elle did, like most of the people in the movie and the pictures in the books did. 

Actually….a realization sneaks up on him, making something low in his chest flop. He looks down, parting his cloak to find nothing but his bare rib cage with his glowing core inside. The sight makes his chest tingle uncomfortably, like something...something’s wrong. He glances back up at the screen. The people there and in the books...he doesn’t look like them. He doesn’t looks at his siblings with their hair. He wraps an arm around each, pulling them closer and noticing the way that their bodies give. They aren’t hard and stiff like him but...soft with dexterous fingers and steady legs. The two laugh at something on screen, exchanging comments. They’re talking, they’re alway talking with their functional voices. Though he, Daniel, and Elle are the same general humanoid shape with a head, a torso, arms, and legs, everything else is different. It sends dread through Bones. He doesn’t look like them at all but….something in him whispers that he should.

The skeleton shakes his head, pushing the thought away. There is no reason to think that, that he should look any different than he does. He is a skeleton. This is what he has always been and always will be. Except...he hadn’t had legs until a few days ago. He hadn’t had eyelids or the strange tingling feeling or the phantom sensations of a stomach or lungs or…

Elle stands up. “I’m gonna go get some snacks.” She walks to the kitchen and returns the popcorn which she and Daniel share. 

Bones fights to not whine sadly. He is happy he can at least absorb liquid ectoplasmic food but...he wishes he could eat that too. Shyly he mentally asks the lair for a smoothie. A thick green liquid appears beside him. He takes the cup and slowly “drinks,” savoring the boost of energy it gives. Under his cloak, the neon green lines to his core thicken, sending more energy to his core. The organ flashes and the lines disappear again. Now feeling more awake, Bones turns attention back to the movie.


	4. Reanimation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the last part! I should say, strong warning for body horror (lots gore, blood and ectoplasm in a flashback) in this one but hopefully you'll enjoy all the same.

After the movie, Bones goes back to his room and lies on his bed. He hums tiredly before letting out a yawn. Well...he had been more awake before but the dim lights, low volume, warm blanket, and the comforting presence of his siblings, the skeletal ghost was now feeling sleepy. He clicks contently to himself, settling into his pillow. Before coming here, he’d never had a bed, definitely not on the island and earlier…..Elle had had a room at Vlad’s and he’d sat on her bed a few times. But the older halfa hadn’t thought the other clones were intelligent enough to bother with such accommodations. His core twists at the thought, with how lowly his maker thought of him.

Bones shakes his head. That does not matter now. All of his siblings are out of the man’s grip. Wel….they don’t know where Tiny and Muscles are but they will find them but in the meantime… Bones is excited about the prospect of learning to speak with his hands. Finally, he’ll be able to ask questions, to share his thoughts and feelings. Still, he wishes he could speak like Elle and Daniel can. He hums again, moving his hand to the bones of his neck to feel the vibration. There is a buzz under his fingers, like when he’s felt Elle’s and Daniel’s throats when they talk. And he can make a variety of noise but still, no speech. He grumbles. Like the wobbly legs, stubborn fingers, and closed throat, it’s another frustrating limitation of his strange body. He shouldn’t let it bother him; it is what it is but….

A sigh. The sensation of invisible lungs expanding and contracting. That must mean something, mustn’t it?

Bones pushes the thoughts away as another yawn overtakes him. He rolls over, closing his eyes and pulling the cover over his head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yellow sunlight streams through his window as the boy blinks awakes. He groans sleepily before rolling over and snuggling into his pillow again.

Pounding feet approach and the bedroom door is flung open. “Wake up!” An excited female voice cries. A lithe body flings itself onto the bed. “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” The figure jumps up and down shaking the bed.

The boy groans, pulling the pillow over his head and desperately wishing to go back to sleep.

“Wake up!” The girl flops onto him, an elbow digging into his side.

“Elle!” He groans, rebukingly (A brief touch of shock that the words actually came out of his mouth but in less than a heartbeat it’s gone).

“Sorry bro.” The girl, Elle, says sheepishly. She then pulls at his arm. “Come on! You said you’d help me make pancakes this morning. And I’m hungry!!!” 

Another groan exits his mouth but Elle continues shaking him. “Fine. Fine. I’m up.” 

The boy sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He blinks at her sleepily before stretching his arms above his head to loosen the sleep tightened muscles. He swings his legs over the side of the bed, his toes sinking into the thick carpet. Wobbling from sleep, he stands for a moment before finding his balance. 

Elle takes his hand. “Come on. Let’s go to the kitchen.”

He rolls his eyes. “I need to go to the bathroom first Elle.” A hand runs through his hair, moving chin length black strands out of his face. “You can go ahead. I’ll be there in like five minutes.”

“Okay.” She agrees, running out of the room and towards the kitchen.

A quick trip to the bathroom and the boy is walking back towards the kitchen. He enters to find various bags of ingredients and utensils already pulled out onto the counter. Elle holds an open bag of chocolate chips. She pops a few in her mouth as the boy enters. Her eyes widen and face redden as she notices she’s been caught. The boy just laughs. He walks up beside her and pops a few chocolate chips into his own mouth. He hums, savoring the taste as they melt on his tongue before swallowing. 

“So..chocolate chip pancakes?” He asks, teeth still stained with the candy.

Elle nods, pointing at an open recipe book. “Let’s get started.”

A flurry of activity ensues. Ingredients are measured, batter mixed. Moving the flying pan over the burner, the boy adds a small amount of butter and turns the heat on. Once the butter melts, he says. “Now we just have to cook them.”

He adds a generous spoonful of batter and watches as tiny bubbles form on top and the edges set. He flips the pancake with a spatula before letting the other side cook. After about two minutes, the cooked pastry goes onto a plate and into the oven to keep warm.

The boy hands the spoon to his sister. “Do you wanna try?”

Elle grabs the spoon, scooping a large helping of batter. She turns the spoon over dropping the too large glob onto the pan. The still room temperature batter splatters onto the siblings. Elle jumps back at the onslaught and the boy flickers intangible, the batter sailing through him. The pair burst out laughing, the boy leaning over in mirth until his lung ache from excretion. He grins, enjoying the moment. Just him and Elle enjoying each other’s company. It is wonderful, perfect. Why hadn’t he wanted to get up and do this with her?

Something red and black flashes at the edge of vision and his blood runs cold. The laughter stops.

“What is it?” Elle askes, noticing the changing in atmosphere.

“It’s…” The boy glances to the side, meeting his own sky blue eyes in the silvery surface of the fridge. Another flash. Red and black. That...that’s not his reflection.

“E...e...l” Elle’s voice far away. “Z..e..E..e..l” She’s calling his name, except he can’t make out the word. No, that’s not it… he doesn’t have a-

His heart pounds in his chest, sweat rising on his palms. 

“E..z..l… E...e….l” His sister pleds.

That’s not…. His name.….what is….. Another flash. Black and red. He looks to the side again. His… his reflection…..Red eyes, a blank skeletal face. Red eyes. No… not red eyes, empty eyes sockets. Black, empty, soulless, lifeless, without spark, emotion, or thought. Darkness...a darkness that consumes, that swallows him up.

Bones shoot up in bed, chest heaving. But...but...no air. No air…. He wants to throw up. Below his core, the things that should be his stomach flops. Listless, he flops back down. A mix between a sob and a fearful whine exits his mouth. What...what was that? What was that? What was…. 

His hands ball up in his sheet and his toes curl. His skin crawls. It itches. Everything itches, a tingling just below the surface. He shakes, tears running down his face. He wants to bite his tongue to silence the sound of his sobs. But...but his mouth is empty. One hand reaches up to pull at his hair. But...there is no hair on his head. Nothing. Just bare bone.

It’s just bare bone. It’s just...it’s just...he’s just…. Shakily, his hands drift in front of his face. It is bare. Not nails, hair, or skin. No muscles or cartilage or nerves. He doesn’t know how he even knows those words, what those things are but….this is wrong. His hands are wrong. His legs are wrong. His feet and his arms and his bare rib cage. This is wrong. This body is wrong. This is the only body he’s known until fives minutes ago but...this is the wrong body. 

He imagines flesh-covered fingers in front of his face. Greenish nails and small white luminescent hairs. Twitching muscles and veins and nerves. A throb in the middle of his chest. He can almost feel it, his non-existent skin crawling from the wrongness.

The boy lowers his hand, whole body shaking. How...how could one dream mess him up this badly? One dream of the life that should have been his. For a moment, his imaginary heart beat in his chest. He just about cries again. He’d known...he’d known that he’d been a halfa before this. Half-human and half-ghost. He must have been because if he’d been a full ghost, he’d have just ended when he destabilized. He would have been gone, like he never existed. But..he is here now. He still exists. But that potential, that human half had been inside of him, waiting to show itself, for him to grow strong, grow stable enough for that part of him to burst forth to be discovered. But that was gone forever now. Forever. He never got to know himself as a human and never would.

And still, still, he is in the wrong body. These stupid boney limbs, stupid empty chest. Another sob as another thought strikes him. In the dream, at the very end….those far away sounds, the word the dream version of his sister had been chanting….that had been a name. His name, but not...not Bones. She hadn’t called him Bones, and that had felt….right, like how being something more than a skeleton felt right. Like, like…..a tear falls now his face. Like Bones is not his name. Bones...bones are a thing, the things that make up a skeleton, that make up his incomplete body. But Bones is not a name. It is not his name….because he doesn’t have one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At some point, he must have drifted off again because he woke up later in his still dark room to the lair humming at him comfortingly. Had it been doing that earlier, while he was crying into his pillow? The lair buzzes again and the ghost sends a thought of reassurance, causing an accepting reply. A sigh...at least the lair can hear him. Though speaking of hearing, he’s surprised Daniel or Elle didn’t hear his breakdown and came investigating. But then again, Elle sleeps like the dead (ha!) and Daniel’s room is on the other side of the garden, near the training room.

Plus, it’s not like it would have mattered. He whines disappointedly. It’s not like he could have told them what was wrong if either did come to comfort him. Such a display would have just upset his siblings. And if he somehow did convey his thoughts, they can’t do anything about it. Not about his inability to eat or speak. Not about his wrong, incomplete body. It was best to just forget about that all together.

With that thought, the ghost pushes the feeling down, ignoring how his core still throbs. He closes his eyes, before pulling the covers over his head again and falling back into a luckily dreamless sleep

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, two brothers practice sign language again. They review greetings, yes and no, how to ask for help, to say ‘I want’ and ‘I need’ something. The focus of the lesson- how to ask what someone’s name is. The ghost sighes the question. ‘What is your name?’

“Perfect.” Daniel congraduatles. “And this is how you respond. I would say. My name is Daniel.” He motions. “My name is D.A.N.I.E.L.”

The ghost copies. ‘My name is…’ He stops on the final word. His name is not Daniel. It is Bones. Wait no,…. He repeats, almost absently. ‘My name is…’

Daniel frowns before his eyes lit up. “Oh yes. I need to figure out how to sign your name.” He flips through the pages. “Bones. B.O.N.E.S” He signs the individual letters, once. “B.O.N.E.S” Then twice. “B.O.N.E.S” The boy looks up, meeting his brother’s eyes. “Now you try. Start with the first letter. B” 

Daniel signs the letter and the ghost’s whose name is not Bones copies. ‘B’

“Good. Now O” The boy encourages.

Then he signs the O. This continues until he’s signed all of the letters correctly. 

“Excellent. Now put it together.” Daniel sighs the letters in sequence.

The boney ghost starts. ‘B.O.N’ He stops looking down at his hand.

Daniel frowns. “Keep going or...do we need to go over it again?”

The skeleton shakes his head. Then his signs. ‘What is name?’

The boy’s brow furrows. “My name? You know my name?”

The skeleton shakes his head. ‘What is’ he points to himself ‘name?’

“Bones, that’s what we’re going over.” Daniel answers, confused. “Your name is Bones.” He signs the last word.

The boney ghost shakes his head again. ‘BONES.’ he signs. ‘BONES not name.’

The boy gaps. “What do you mean?”

‘DANIEL Name. Elle name. BONES not name.’ He signs, though his hands had started to shake. The thoughts from last night resurface. His dream where he had a proper body, a voice, and a name. Earlier, he hadn’t wanted to bring any of the up because Elle and Daniel could do nothing to help him. Except….. A memory from the island.  _ Vlad never bothered to give you a real name. We can pick one for you, if you want. Or help you choose one. _

If he asks, Daniel will help him pick out a name.

The skeleton warbles. ‘BONES not name.’ He signs again.

Daniel’s expression falls. His lips turn down, clearly troubled but also confused. The skeletal ghost frowns, his phantom stomach flopping again. He signs again. ‘What is name?’ He pats his chest insistently. “What is name?’

Slowly realization dawns on the other full ghost’s face. His mouth opens and closes. “Oh.” The boy shuffles forward, gently taking his brother’s hands to stop the desperate pounding. “I am so sorry. I….I completely forgot. We told you earlier, that Vlad never gave you a real name but…” He pauses, biting his lip before venturing. “But you want one?”

The skeletal ghost nods his head while also humming in agreement.

Daniel sighs. “Okay.” He removes his hands from the other ghost’s. “Do you want Elle and I to pick one-” 

Vigorous head shakes and what is almost a hiss sound before Daniel can even finish the question. The boy’s brow furrows thoughtfully. “We can help you choose one then...unless you have one in mind already?”

The boney ghost shakes his head, warbling sadly. He had heard a name in his dream and it felt right so but he can’t remember. And unfortunately, he has no way of telling Daniel something that complex.

Meanwhile, the other ghost purses his lips in thoughts. “Elle and I can make a list of all the names we know and check them with you….but neither of us know many names...Maybe the lair can help. I can look through some books.”

With that last sentence, several books pop into existence between the two ghosts. Daniel picks the one from the top of this stack. “Huh….it says this is a book of baby names...I had no idea such a thing existed.” He looks up from the book, meeting red eyes. “Shall we go get Elle?”

The pair get up and find the other resident of the lair who is shooting at targets in the training room. After a brief explanation from Daniel, the three go to the garden. Surrounded by books, paper, and writing utensils, they are going through names. 

Elle flips through the book. “How about we go through in alphabetical order? And I guess, nod if you like the name and we’ll add it to the maybe list.”

A nod of agreement and they begin. Elle and Daniel take turns reading out loud. The names provoke mixed reactions. Noses wrinkles in disgust, shrugs to imply ‘it’s not that bad,’ and laughs at some of the more ridiculous offers. But none of them feel right to the skeletal ghost’s ears...not that he actually has though. But still, three hours later and they’re only a third of the way through one book but there are literally millions of different options. Names common and not so common to humans, from different time periods and people groups. And that does not even include the much stranger names chosen by many ghosts.

Elle groans putting down the book. “I need a break.” She rubs her face. “This is making my eyes burn and I’m starving.”

Daniel bits his lip. “Is it alright if we all take a break, brother?”

The skeleton nods and the three make their way to the kitchen. Elle makes herself a ham and cheese sandwich with real world food that Danny brought on his last visit. Daniel prepared his own sandwich with lair-made bread and meat along with some spectral lettuce from the garden. The skeleton mentally asks for another smoothie. Tipping the cup back, he drinks.

The liquid again washes through his mouth and into his skull. As the cold energy spreads down, he pulls up his cloak to look at his core. Again, the small green lines appear, suspended in air and reach drown from his head to core. But...they are thicker? The green connects with his core and there is a flash of powers. His body tingles again, more strongly. His bones throb and his glow brightens. Then….something new…. A hair thin line reaches from his core and spreads towards his arm. The spider web of green grows, wrapping around his upper arm and over his elbow to his lower arm. The feeling of goosebumps prickling skin as his eyes widen. The lines pulse, visibly throbbing as the glow of his arm takes on a green tint. A flashes and the lines...the vein?....fade from existence or….just from view.

The boney ghost looks back down at his core, at the almost in perceivable veins branching from it. His limbs tingle, the feeling so similar to right after his dream. To remembering a form he never possessed but is so familiar...so close….anyway. An idea sparks.

Suddenly in a flurry of motion, the boney ghost stands from his seat, knocking it over. 

“Wait!” “Where are you going?” Elle and Daniel call after as he rushes out of the room and back towards his room. To his papers and crayons. Why...why hadn’t he thought of this sooner?

Heavily, he flops down on the floor and starts drawing desperately. His hands shake; the need to get the information from his head and onto the paper is so great, he will burst if he does not. A crude humanoid figure appears from his hands. A round face, chin length black hair, blue eyes.

Elle sits down, tilting her head. “Is that supposed to be...me in human form?”

The skeleton shakes his head. Of course, it is not her. But….his shoulders fall. He is a full ghost. His real form is not black hair and blue eyes but… he turns the paper over, drawing again. 

The ghost closes his eyes, picturing the reflection he saw last night, his dream self. He focuses, black hair to white, blue eyes to his ruby red. The image takes shape on the paper and the boney ghost turns it around for his siblings to see.

Daniel’s brow furrows. “Who is this?”

The skeleton chirps disappointedly. They still do not understand. He points to himself only to receive more confused looks. 

“What? I don’t get it.” Elle mumbles.

A frustrated grumble exits the boney ghost’s mouth. He tries one last thing. If he can just write two letters...with shaky hands, he scratches out an M and an E.

“Me?” Daniel blinks confusedly at the paper before looking back up at the other full ghost. “You? That is you?”

Elle frowns. “I don’t…” She bites her lip. “You don’t look like that.”

With another huff, he scribbles again. Another drawing takes shape beside his dream self. A black skeletal head with the same red eyes. Almost as soon as the skeletal form is drawn, he furiously crosses it out. Again he writes ME beside the other drawing. He underlines and circles it. Pointing to the drawing and then himself, he signs. ‘I want.’

Again, Elle and Daniel look between the drawing and their brother. Realization slowly dawns on Elle’s face before her express falls. “But...you don’t look like that.”

The skeleton points again, chirping insistently.

The girl shakes her head. “No. I understand that this is what you want but…..you don’t...you don’t look like this and...and...there isn’t a way.” She frowns, muttering. “I’m sorry, you’re just a skeleton.”

The boney ghost’s core clenches at the reminder and he hisses in displeasure. He knows that! He is just a stupid ghost skeleton but he wants a body like theirs! He wants hair and nails and skin and a voice. He wants to be who he is supposed to be but he doesn’t know how to! 

At the reaction, Elle’s cheeks turn green in shame, as if she regrets the words. Looking down, she says nothing.

After a moment, Daniel speaks up, his voice so quiet the skeletal ghost struggles to hear. “But Elle, I think...I think that is what he should look like…” He rubs the back of his neck. “He is a clone, like us. Shouldn’t we all look the same? Like…..” He swallowed. “Like Danny?”

Elle pales for a moment before shaking her head. “That’s not…. We don’t all look like Danny.” She swallows forcing out the words. “And we don’t all look the same.” She motions to herself and then to Daniel as if the differences were obvious.

The boy raises a brow, a smile creeping on his face. “While we do not look completely the same, there is a clear family resemblance.”

The girl blushes, opening and closing her mouth. She crosses her arms. “Okay, fine but….the others didn’t look like us.”

The boy’s expression softens. “But they were even more unstable than you were before Danny stabilized you.” He glances up at the skeleton. “And our brother is still unstable but maybe if he were stabilized…..”

He would be complete, like he should be. Bones hums, mentally completing the statement.

For a while, Elle looks down in contemplation. She wrings her hands. “I guess you have a point. Bones and Muscles never really looked normal.” She puts air quotes around the word. “But Tiny…” She looks at Daniel. “He did look like you when he wasn’t small. And when he wasn’t using any powers, he almost looked stable.”

The skeletal ghost tilts his head, considering the information. He searches his memories, trying to remember their smallest brother. A small pin prick of green light. A larger, green and dripping form. Elle and a full-sized Tiny sitting beside each other on the bed, the male clone in a black and white suit, his face an almost human color, despite the natural greenish undertone of all ghosts. Yes, that was correct.

Daniel sighs. “Then we agree you should look like this.” He points at the drawing. “But...how do we achieve this?”

The skeletal ghost considers for a moment, the idea forming in his head. The ectoplasm making him stronger, the Ectodejecto giving him his legs. Another dose or two…. But how to convey that?

He draws. A stick figure of Danny standing over the skeletal clone (without legs) with a tube of something green, the substance dripping onto his head. Another image. Himself on the ground, legs splayed in front of him. He points between the drawing, calling attention to the lack of legs in the first and their presence in the second.

“The ectodejecto….it gave you your legs.” Elle’s voice wavers with awe. “If you have another dose or two…”

The boney ghost nods enthusiastically. He quickly points between his current skeletal body and his true, full form. 

Daniel’s lips turn up. “That just might work.”

The former Bones nods, chirping in excited agreement. But Elle remains silent, her arms crossed.

The two full ghosts look at their sister and after a pause, she sighs. “I guess...I guess the worst thing that can happen is it doesn’t work and you get an energy boost.”

“So you agree to try it?” Daniel questions, eyes lighting up.

Elle nods, standing up. “I have some spare doses in my room. I’ll go get it now.”

Go get it now…. Sudden nervousness knots the full ghost’s core at the thought. Now, right now. In five minutes at the most they will try and if it works…. He smiles, imagining it. Himself, in his proper configuration. If this works, everything will change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten minutes later, Elle, Daniel, and the again unnamed skeleton are in the garden. Nervously, Elle clutches three vials of ectodejecto. She swallows. “Are you...are you ready?”

The boney ghost nods enthusiastically, a desperate anticipation growing inside of him. He is ready. He did not know it until last night, but he’s been ready for as long as he can remember.

“Alright.” Elle uncaps one of the vials as the boney ghost kneels in front of her. “Here we go.”

The skeleton looks down as Elle tips the tube over. Slowly the gel-like liquid flows out. It hits the boney head and he gasps as the ectoplasm is absorbed. The cold feeling surges, immeasurably stronger than even the first time. The feeling compounds with the energy still lingering from the previous days when he’s drunk and slept. He’s already grown so much stronger and his core...his core is ready.

The energy spreads down into his core, visible cords showing its path. The lines around his core thicken. The familiar tingling feeling in his limbs starts and grows. It prickles, the ache deep in his bones and rising to the surface. The green lines appear, spreading out from his core and to each arm. Instead of a spider-web, it is a net of fishing wire. The new veins pulse, invigorating his limbs. Above him Elle and Daniel gasp, having missed this the first time. And the skeletal clone revels in the feeling as the tingling grows into an itch, the feeling of goosebumps.

His aura flashes before it...starts to dim again, the lines fading and the tingling trickling out. The boney ghost looks up, eyes wide with desperate panic. He barks panickedly. NO. No. Elle gaps, not understanding. He reaches up for the vials. 

“What?” The girl mutters. 

He waves, eyes begging. His core is at a threshold and he needs a push. One more boost and he will go over the edge. He can feel it just below the surface.

Elle blinks, seeming to understand to request. She bites her lips. “Are you sure?”

The skeletal clone shakes his head. He is sure; he had never been more sure of anything else. Sucking in a breath, Elle tips the second vial over. 

The concentrated ectoplasm hits and the boney ghosts gaspes. The cold feeling washes over him like an icey wave. No, like being dunked in the arctic ocean. Like liquid nitrogen being injected into his quickly growing veins. From his head to his toes, the tingling itch suddenly grows to a burn. The wire-thin web of neon branches thicken, branching and stretching over him. No. No. Something...something else is wrapping around his limbs, in shrouding him. Green snakes around his arms and legs. And it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. It burns, it freezes, it tears at him. He gaps again, his much more full-feeling chest heaving. Above him, Elle and Daniel both gap before panicked words exit their mouths. He doesn’t hear. He can’t hear, because he’s screaming. 

Panic enters his mind, the need to escape, to hide. Barely thinking, he starts digging into the dirt below him. Seconds later, the darkness is closing in around him. A shout from above and hands reaches to stop him but he is too fast. His core lashes out and for the first time in his existence, he turns intangible. He sails through the soil and deeper, deeper. Six feet at least, he is buried. It is dark, so dark. And it hurt. It hurt. It burns, it tears. He wants to scream but the soil cuts off the noise, even as tears run down his face.

His mind scrambles, images flickering by. The ectoplasmic nutrient bath of his artificial wobe drains away. The hydraulic hiss of his pod opening. His eyes blink open as his restrains unlock. His lungs spasm, taking in their first breath. A weak hand raises to in front of his face. Greenish fingernails, the creases of his palm. His newborn mind marvels at what he is seeing as he clenches and unclenches his hand. Another breath and this one burns. 

His hand shakes as pain hits him. The air and light burn. Something is wrong. Something is wrong. His skin...his skin looks slick, covered with sweat. Green oozes up through his pores. He’s bleeding. No…his core spasms in horror. His skin….his skin is melting. It drips from him, a mess of red and green. He screams in terror. Something is dripping into his eyes, red and green streams down his face. His hair falls out, joining the puddle forming in the bottom of his pod. He looks down at his legs. Bare muscles scream with pain, twitching. It burns. He is melting, he is melting. His muscles liquify, sloshing off of his skeleton. With a wail of agony, he falls forward out of the pod. A gargling noise exits his ruined throat and the smell of old pennies and rotting citrus assaults him. But his nose is gone. His nose is gone! Another wave of pain as his organs twist and convulse. Dripping, sloshing, more carnage pours out below him. And he shakes as his screams cut off, his throat disintegrating. His mind screams for death. For blackness to overtake him and end this torture. But...but... Blackened skeletal hands waver in front of his face, bits of ruined skin, blood, and ectoplasm sticking to the bare bones. He’s...he’s still alive.

Back in the real world, the skeletal clone screams. His whole body shakes. He’s...he’s melting again. Isn’t he? But this time, he’ll end. He’ll just not exist anymore, leaving Elle, Daniel, and Danny without their brother. Another spasm overtakes him, another wave of cold energy flowing through his body. Wait...wait...wait. No. That’s not…… A stretching feeling. His skin crawling.

No, he’s not melting. He’s….it’s working. It’s working. Something lashes out, growing out from his core, around him. Not disintegration but the opposite of that maybe memory. Growth, reanimation, re-creation, re-formation, rebirth.

Nerves stretch out. Ectoplasmic veins ticken and spreads. Electricity sparks, traveling around his limbs, his hands. Bones draw close, ligaments and tendons binding them together. New joints creak. His molecules vibrate as liquid cascades over him, welling up from the very bone. The matter twists, shaping into ghostly muscles. Something uncomfortably stretches over his bones. He tries to scream but mouth is full of dirt. His mouth….inside is wet now. Something thick pushes on the roof of his mouth. A tongue….he has a tongue now. A tingling on his scalp as skin stretches over it and hair pushes through his new pores. His hands clench and unclench, the now sensitive pads of his finger feeling the dirt, even at the particles lodge under his nails. His core pulses quickly, pounding in his ears. Ears…..He has ears now. In his solid chest, lungs spasm. But he is a full ghost. He does not actually need to breathe. But all the same, his body molds itself to the anatomy of a half ghost, though his human half is long gone. Another unneeded breath sends a wet earthy smell to his nose. The smell...so strong, a thousand times stronger than before. Every vibration in the soil, every particle brushes his new bare skin, every pulse of his core in his new ear. Every sensation is multiplied. It is so much, too much. His eyes flicker in the darkness. It is dark, so dark. Like the darkness of sleep. Like the inside of the thermos. Like the eternity between death and rebirth. He passes out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fuzziness of a dream. Yellow sunlight, the same kitchen as before. Elle and him sit at the table with their pancakes.

“Zeke, what was that earlier?” She asks.

He doesn’t hear, too busy looking at his reflection in the fridge. He is not human this time. He is a ghost. Chin length messy white hair. Ruby red eyes like always but with iris and sclera like a human, like his siblings. The boy….because he is a boy, not a skeleton….smiles at the reflection.

“Zeke. Zeke.” Elle calls again. “What up with you?”

“It worked.” He says, more to himself than his dream sister. “It worked.” Unsurprisingly, his voice sounds very similar to Daniel and Danny’s voices but still...there is a twinge, a small difference in pitch, that says it is his.

“Ezekiel!” His sister swatts his arm to get his attention.

He turns to look at her, jaw dropping as he registers the name falling from her lip. “My name…..”

“Of course that’s your name dummy.” She crosses her arms. “This is your dream.”

He wrinkles his brow. This is a dream...Yes, yes it is. Of course it is. Some distant part of his mind realizes that means Elle is not really here and the name he finally recognized, he chose himself.

The girl’s face softens. “It’s time to wake up, to start the rest of your afterlife.”

Ezekiel blinks, his world darkening. He opens his eyes to the darkness, to his temporary grave, before closing them again. He sucks in an unnecessarily breath before his hands stretch upward, clawing towards the surface. He pushes and pulls against the dirt, using bits of intangibility and flight to propel himself upwards. 

His hand breaches the surface and a second later, another pair of hands is grabbing his and pulling him up. His other hand breaks forth and another pair grabs him. With the help, his arms are soon pulled free of the dirt. The top of his head surfaces, then his forehead, his eyes, his nose, his mouth. A gulp of air and he’s opening his eyes, blinking away the dirt and squinting in the light. Hands let go over his hands and move to pull his arms and shoulders free. Voices buzz around him, a mix of relief, worry, and surprises in their tones but he cannot make out the words. 

Arms loop under his armpits and pull him out. Moments later, he is lying on his back in the dirt and blinking at the light. This...this was like being thrown out of the thermos but much more trying, more strenuous. Something white is dropped over his lap. His brow furrows. His cloak? He must have dropped it before he buried himself. He sighs, taking in the feeling of air on his still-tingling bare skin. He feels raw and new. Every nerve is a live-wire and his core has never pulsed so strongly. He blinks at the ceiling, just breathing for a moment and taking every sensation. 

Slowly, his hand comes to waver in front of his face. Flesh covered fingers and greenish fingernails greet him. He can see all the joints and cresses. He wiggles the digits and they bend, obeying his mental command. A laugh of pure joy bursts from his lip. It worked! It worked and he’s here. And his body is finally whole, complete.

Shakily, he pushes himself into a sitting position with his arms. White hair moves into his face. Unsurprisingly it is chin length. Longer than Danny or Daniel’s but shorter than Elle’s. He laughs again, fingering the strands and marveling at the texture.

“Bones?” A soft female voice askes.

It is then Ezekiel registers his auditience. Elle, Daniel, and….Danny (?) are staring at him, with their jaws dropped. Complex emotions flash through each person’s eyes. Surprise, shock, worry, relief, awe, wonder, confusion.

“Bones?” Elle asks again, noticing his look of recognition.

The boy nods, acknowledging his not-name.

Tentatively, Elle kneels down beside him. Her arms hover at her sides, like she wants to reach forward but her eyes flicker from his face to his bare chest, her check lighting with green blush. The boy glances down, finally noticing the cloak in his lap. He blushes. He’d been naked this whole time. At least his siblings had thought to cover him.

Elle hovers for a second, clearly wondering if she can hug him. Ezekiel makes the decision for her. He wraps his arms around the girl, drawing her to his chest. She tenses, stuned for a moment before registering the solid arms around her.

She sniffles. “I’m...I’m so sorry. I thought...you started screaming and buried yourself. And...and you didn’t come up after an hour and we thought...we didn’t know…I thought….I thought...you were hurt or...or you..you...mel..mel-” She cuts herself off with a sob. “Daniel went to get Danny, ‘cause we didn’t know. And then we heard you digging and we pulled you up and..and…. I don’t...I don’t understand what..” Another sob sounds as the girl shakes with emotion. The boy can almost feel it, the fear and panic clashing with the relief and happiness and all that overwhelmed with a large dose of confusion.

He feels much the same as tears fall down his face as well. The boy rubs her back. He hums working his mouth, his tongue. “I’m..okay. I’m okay.” With effort, he forms the words.

Elle’s breath catches in her throat at the same moment Daniel and Danny kneel down beside the pair. “You can speak.” Daniel’s eyes widen with awe.

The former skeleton nods. “Yes.”

“You can speak!” Daniel grins, arm wrapping around the pair.

Danny joins the hug from the other side. “I can’t believe the Ecto Dejecto worked.”

Ezekiel smiles, turning his head from one boy to the other. “I...I love…” He chokes on the sudden emotion but his siblings all seem to understand.

“Brother.” Daniel sighs, voice positively vibrating with love.

Danny smiles at him. “I love you too.”

And Elle cries into his shoulder. “Bones!”

The boy ruffles her hair. “Ezekiel.” He gently corrects.

His two brothers and sister pull back, very similar looks of confusion crossing their faces.

“My name” He clarifies. “It’s Ezekiel.”

Realization dawns on the other three ghosts faces. 

“Ezekiel?” Elle tentatively says.

The boy nods before offering her a grin. “Yes. But you can call me Zeke.”

“Zeke.” She says more confidently, wrapping arms around him again. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He says addressing her before looking at his brothers. “I love all of you.”

Daniel beams. “Zeke...I am so happy you found your name.” 

Danny nods. “Yeah, Welcome home Zeke.” The halfa rubs the back of his neck. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier.”

Pulling away from Elle’s hug, Ezekiel puts a hand on Danny’s arm. “You came when I needed you and…” He beams. “We can finally talk now.”

“Yeah.” Danny smiles in agreement.

Another group hug ensues with slow, loving muttering and laughs of happiness and relief. After a while, Danny pulls away and moves to stand. He offers Zeke a hand. “Wanna try standing again?”

The boy glances down. “I should fasten this first.”

Danny blushes. “Oh yeah...Do that.”

Elle and Daniel stand, turning away to not look as Zeke removes the cloak and drapes it around his shoulders. He fastens it to cover himself completely. Luckily the fabric is long enough to go down to the middle of his calves. “I’m ready.”

With some help, he stands. Walking luckily takes little adjustment and soon he is walking across the garden unassisted. “So what now?” He asks just as his stomach grumbles.

Danny chuckles. “Let's make some food.” He glances up and down the former skeleton first. “Maybe put on some clothes first.”

Zeke blushes. “Maybe I should do that.”

After walking to his room and asking for some clothes, he puts on a shirt and jeans much like Daniel wears. The boy returns to the kitchen where his family is happily assembled.

Daniel is cutting up some round fleshy black fruits. He smiles looking up at Zeke. “I am making Tiger fruit pie!”

Beside him, Danny opens a glowing sack of flour. “You said two cups, right Niel?”

“Yes.” The full ghost affirms.

Elle pokes at the bag. “Is this real flour?”

Danny rolls his eyes. “It’s not lair made if that’s what you’re asking. It’s a present for the Miller. He wouldn’t let me leave without it the last time I was in Princess Dorathea’s kingdom.” He glances up at the new arrival. “Zeke, can you get the cup measure? It’s in the drawer beside the fridge.”

The boy nods, walking over to the drawer. “Is this it?”

Danny looks back. “Yep.”

With that, measuring and mixing ingredients ensues. Stories and jokes are shared. Flour is spilled over everything and a general mess is made. After cleaning and baking the pie, the four settle down around the tv to watch a movie.

Everyone watches attentively as Zeke takes his first bit of pie. Instantly, the flavor lights up his tongue. “This is amazing!”

Daniel beams at the complement “Thank you!”

The rest dig in and watch the movie, trading comments along the way. Sitting hip to hip between Elle and Daniel with Danny on the other side of the girl, Ezekie has never been this happy. He can finally eat and speak. He is stable and will grow stronger. He is surrounded by his family, the same people who found him on the island, fought to help him remember, and brought him home. Together, they found a way to stabilize him and pulled him out of the dirt for his temporary grave. And together, they will face whatever the future holds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! So the ending of this was prompted by someone that reviewed "Life and Death is all Perspective" and made a comment about Bones, Tiny, and Muscles being stablized and looking like they were meant to look....Well that have gave me some ideas. The imagery was actually inspired by two very different sources, a story called Boy by Cordaria (https://cordria.tumblr.com/post/111522035906/boy-dp) and from the valley of dry bones in the book of Ezekiel (guess where Bones gets his name from) in the Old Testament, where the prophet basically has a vision of a valley full of skeleton's being resurrected and the description is actually pretty visceral. Anyway, I thought that was some interesting bit of background. Feel free to leave a comment and let you know what you think.

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued!


End file.
